Fans Of 386 Area Code Urge Osteen To Switch

OSTEEN -- Supporters of one area code for Volusia County plan to make their case to residents of Osteen tonight at a public meeting.

The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at Osteen Elementary School.

Representatives from Volusia County, Deltona and the School Board will be on hand to answer questions.

It's the latest effort Volusia officials are making to convince people that a unified area code will be best.

"It's just a final piece of the education," County Council member Ann McFall said.

Children at several local schools will also take home pamphlets encouraging their parents to vote in favor of the 386 area code.

While most of Volusia County is in the 904 area code, others in Osteen, Deltona and DeBary have 407 area codes.

A dwindling supply of phone numbers means that Volusia County must have a new area code -- 386, which spells out FUN on a telephone keypad. The Public Service Commission approved the new area code but left out the Osteen area because customers there would have to change their entire phone numbers.

Some three-digit prefixes used in the area already are in use elsewhere within the proposed 386 boundary, which includes Volusia, Flagler, Putnam and all or parts of six other North Florida counties.

Some residents are reluctant to change their numbers. They don't want that inconvenience, even though they would have the same area code as the rest of the county.

Ballots were mailed out Friday and must be returned by Jan. 5.

Meanwhile, Volusia officials say they are stumped why BellSouth, which is responsible for sending out the ballots, sent them to about 3,800 addresses.

County officials estimated the number to be much lower. County Council member Ann McFall has sent letters to residents and, by going through the phone book, found about 2,000 people.

"We've got definitely a disconnect here on numbers right now," said Bob Weiss, county communications director. "We're saying, `Where are all these people?' "

They wonder if BellSouth included any Sanford phone numbers in the mix.

The Volusia officials cannot see the addresses until the votes come in.

BellSouth will not release them now, saying Florida law does not allow them to share information about its clients.

County officials want the names and addresses of those who voted to be inspected after the tally is complete to verify everyone is local.

"We have around 1,800 or 1,900 -- about half of what BellSouth says they are sending out," Weiss said. "That dilemma bothers me a little bit. We have not been able to locate anywhere near that many people."

Volusia wonders if the phone company added some Sanford residents, but BellSouth officials say anyone outside of Volusia County was weeded out. Not all the numbers are listed in the phone book, they point out.

"It's not going to be rocket science to figure out which ones are in Volusia," BellSouth regional manager Larry Strickler said.

A simple majority of those who respond will determine if Osteen joins the rest of Volusia in the 386 area code or remains an enclave of the 407 and 321 area codes used in neighboring Seminole County.

The new area code takes effect in February and becomes mandatory in November.

The new area code does not affect existing 25-cent calling rates, such as those between DeBary and Orlando.